Chapter Text
What if…? What if the Theater crowd saw Subaru answering questions?
—————
[Alpha: Hey everyone, how are we doing?]
The little witch asked as she walked in, eating popcorn from a large makeshift bucket. It was usually like this when she left them to watch the screenings while she went out. In the room, some always looked sad, others nervous, others embarrassed. But this time, they were excited, entertained.
Why?
Up to this point, Alpha had allowed them to view other universes however they wished. All so she could see what each member of the Camp thought. During this time, she let the Camps and the Witches, along with Shaula, witness some lighter and more fun IFs after seeing so many horrifying things, like: Shaula IF, Typhon IF, Anastasia and Crusch IF, Mabeasts IF. To help cleanse their minds a bit from all the horrors they had witnessed.
Not that Alpha truly cared deeply about their mental state. Why? She only wanted them to be well enough to keep watching, not only to witness how they would change Subaru's fate, but also to see how such screenings would change them. Would they mature? Go insane? Be guided by their minds, their hearts, or both? Alpha wanted to witness that personally and closely.
Part of her motivation came from her personal connection to Subaru — an extremely personal connection that made her want to protect him, while also seeing what he would do when faced with the treatment his companions gave him.
So, she sat down in her designated seat.
[Emilia: So, Alpha-chan, what are you going to show us today?]
[Alpha: Well… I was thinking. Thinking about what I could show you next… Good things, bad things. Horrific things, cute things. A balance between both, or throw everything into the air and see what happens. —— A part of me doesn’t really care, but I know you’re all kind of... worn out from some of the more... intense screenings, right?]
With a sly smile, she also mentioned some of the cruel IFs she had shown to haunt and torment them: Yokai IF, Vainglory IF, Black Butterfly IF, Promise IF, among others. Of course, she felt a little bad for the Subaru versions, but the feeling of watching the others in the theater and their variants suffer — from light to brutally intense ways — always warmed her heart.
Such a perception was obvious to some in that room, who thought she was sadistic for it. But they were also grateful to her.
Knowing the bad things that could have happened, the bad things that still might happen, and those that are definitely going to happen — that knowledge could help them change, help them grow. It also showed them and helped them understand how deeply evil they could become if they took the wrong path, whether by force, intent, or someone else's mistake.
[Beatrice: You could at least pretend to care about our mental health, I suppose?]
[Alpha: I could pretend… but I don’t want to! I really enjoy expressing my feelings toward you all honestly, directly, and without shame. After all... my personal goals depend on you going through: SUPER NATSUKI SUBARU DEVELOPMENT! But, y'know, without being mentally abandoned while being physically tortured in the most horrible ways possible. While you're all sitting comfortably in cushy chairs with AC and candy... —— Actually, why do I keep giving you sweets if I want you to grow through suffering?]
[Al: I don’t know about that, but... do you really think we want that “super development” for that guy you keep talking about?]
Al was the only one who kept answering Alpha without shame when she started rambling like that — simply because he didn’t care.
[Anastasia: Continuing from Emilia’s question. What are you going to show us now, Alpha-chan? Could it be something more... positive about Natsuki-kun?]
[Alpha: Something... positive? Well... As I said, I came here with an idea. An interesting idea. An idea so crazy, so weird, that anyone would call it idiotic if it weren’t so stupid!]
[Ram: —— Is this really a being capable of stopping the Sword Saint and the Witch of Envy?]
[Alpha: Of course, Pink!]
Pointing finger guns at Ram playfully, she realized her thought had been read by the little Witch of Time, who was wearing a sharp smile and slightly indifferent eyes.
Everyone then waited for her next move.
And with a snap of her fingers, Subaru — who was holding hands with Emilia and Rem, serving as a seat for Beatrice, and with his head hugged by Crusch from the seat behind — vanished into thin air.
But before they could ask anything—
The screen turned on: Their Subaru appeared on it, still asleep, sitting on a white couch in a room while seemingly being filmed by something. It surprised and confused them. What was she planning? That thought quickly spread among them. Because on the screen, Subaru started waking up.
[Subaru: Uaaah! GOOD MORNING WORLD!]
Subaru — their Subaru — appeared on the screen in front of everyone, stretching.
[Emilia: Subaru!]
[Beatrice: Betty’s Subaru!]
[Rem: Subaru-kun!]
Not just the three of them — everyone else reacted the same way.
They shouted in surprise at the sudden event.
Subaru began looking around, trying to figure out where he was, orienting himself. He didn’t seem particularly scared or worried as he should’ve been. He scratched his chin.
[Subaru: Either I’m still dreaming... or I’m probably hallucinating...]
[Alpha: Which of those options would you prefer?]
[Subaru: Hm? Alpha-chan? Why did you bring me here?]
Looking toward a figure that had been out of the screen’s view until then, she appeared and sat in a chair in front of him. The two stared at each other calmly, as if they already knew one another.
[Beatrice: Wait! Why did you take Betty’s Subaru to that room? And how does he already seem to know you, I suppose?]
[Alpha: Eh? You think I only talk to you all? No, non, nein! For the sake of this chapter’s plot—— I’ve been talking to Subaru (Otō-chan) a few times before this. All to prepare for this moment. A really fun one... for some of us.]
[Alpha: I brought you here so we could have some fun! —— Subaru, how would you feel knowing there are higher beings watching you? Beings that really like you and your friends?]
[Subaru: I’d say that’s kinda creepy but also interesting. They don’t watch us while we shower, right? ‘Cause that would be really creepy. —— But why ask something like that? And more importantly... WHY DO MY HANDS HURT SO MUCH?! It feels like someone kept breaking them over and over again!]
That comment partially broke the mood of what had been said before, as some glances were thrown at the girls who liked Subaru — who lowered their heads, embarrassed — while Alpha sat next to a conveniently placed foldable metal chair — the chair she used to hit the heads of all the ones who kept breaking Subaru’s hands.
[Alpha: That particular matter is... slightly irrelevant right now. THE REAL ISSUE IS SOMETHING ELSE! —— I asked you that for the exact reason I brought you into this room. Because of them! Many of them are your fans, and many would love to ask you a few questions if they had the chance.]
[Subaru: And so...?]
[Alpha: That’s exactly why I brought you here!]
She picked up a box and placed it on the coffee table between them. Inside? Several letters.
[Alpha: These are letters from people curious about you and what you think of those around you. A bit invasive, right? But they’re questions from fans who want answers to satisfy their curiosity.]
[Subaru: Alright, let me get this straight. —— You, Alpha, the Witch of Time, who kidnapped me so I could take a “sabbatical year” to sleep and recover my energy, brought me here, to this strange room, while my hands are still sore, just so I can answer questions sent by higher beings from a different dimension than mine — who, by the way, are my fans — purely for fun?]
[Alpha: ——————————— Putting it like that, it sounds like an extremely weird kind of nonsense. ———————— So, are you in?]
[Subaru: ————— I’ve got nothing else to do, and I don’t think I really have a choice. If I at least get a snack out of it, I’m good.]
Commenting with a certain degree of amusement, he crossed his legs and looked at the letters.
[Priscilla: Why are you showing us such foolishness?]
[Alpha: Well, it’s for fun~~ He doesn’t know you’re here, and you don’t know you’re watching. And like I said, people will send him all kinds of questions. Some of them about you — personal opinions or things like that. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what he really thinks of you without any filters, without the politeness or fear of how you'd react if he said it in front of you?]
That instantly sparked everyone’s curiosity, thinking about Alpha’s words, the kinds of questions that would be asked, and the answers Subaru would give. And in the end: Would they even get to choose whether or not to watch? The truth? No, Alpha wouldn’t give them that choice.
Now then… what would be the first question?
—————
I know… I know. Strange chapter. But it was a suggestion from a reader, and I liked the idea — I enjoy pleasing the readers who’ve followed along for so long.
This IF takes place in the theater of my Re:Zero stories — specifically the “Re:Consequences IF.”
Here’s the idea behind this IF: You send questions in the comments as if you were asking Subaru directly about things (For example: “What do you think about the deaths caused by Puck?” or “What do you think of [Character]?” etc.), he answers, and the people in the theater react to his responses. The members of the Theater, at least for now, will only be from the Camps, the Witches and Shaula, along with Alpha. Without the Cult or the people from Kararagi and Vollachia. At least, that’s the concept the reader gave me for this IF.
That same reader on Ao3 started his own story, but allowed me to adapt it into an IF. Still, I’d like to share his original story:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/64763314/chapters/166416469
So, with everything explained:
You, the readers, send questions for Subaru to answer (with me trying to interpret how he would respond). And to make things more fun: There are no restrictions on the types of questions! But please, use pseudonyms for yourselves. For example, “ThinkMind” could be “TM” or “Mind” or something like that — just so I don’t have to write weird usernames with @ symbols, alright?
Oh, and one more thing: Subaru doesn’t know about the Theater, what they’ve watched, or the IFs. So if you want to ask questions like “What would you think if there was a version of you in the Witch Cult?” — go ahead, since he knows absolutely nothing. Alpha kidnapped him just so he could sleep away from danger, as a kind of act of charity.
Well… that’s it. Anyone who wants to join in, feel free!